WEST Coast spearhead Oscar Allen says Jack Darling was heavily missed and will be welcomed back with open arms in Saturday's clash with the Crows in Adelaide.
Darling booted just 10.12 across the opening nine rounds before suffering a fractured arm.
The 30-year-old's poor form resulted in him even receiving Bronx cheers from Eagles fans, but his inclusion alongside captain Luke Shuey is a big boost for injury-hit West Coast.
Allen sits equal third on the Coleman leaderboard with 32 goals across 12 games - a remarkable return given the struggles of the last-placed Eagles.
The 24-year-old can't wait to be reunited with Darling.
"Jack's an All-Australian forward. He was probably copping a bit of flak when he was playing before he got hurt," Allen told reporters on Friday.
"But the experience in what he brings to the table - he's another great target, he's so reliable as a player, and you love playing with people that you know what you're going to get from them week in, week out.
"(He was) heavily missed, and really looking forward to running out there (with him)."
Allen and Darling will be joined by 18-year-old debutant Ryan Maric, who was pick No.1 in last week's mid-season rookie draft.
The 196cm forward has worked hard on his fitness to earn his crack at the AFL, and Allen is looking forward to what he can produce.
"He's a beautiful kick, he's got great skills and he's a big size," Allen said.
"He was saying, 'I play half forward' and I was looking eye-to-eye with him and I was like, 'right, maybe I'm undersized'.
"He's a big strong boy, and he's 18 years old. He's got a lot of scope to become a good AFL player in time."
Allen was handed the captaincy over the past fortnight as part of West Coast's rotation policy in the absence of Shuey.
The key forward booted four goals against Essendon before bagging three against Collingwood last week.
Allen is being touted as a strong captaincy option if Shuey steps down at the end of this season, and it's a role he will consider taking on.
"It was a great experience and I'm really grateful for the club for allowing me to do it," Allen said.
"I was pleased I was able to play relatively well in the role. But Luke is one of the better captains going around, so looking forward to playing behind him."
